Social and cultural Social and cultural sustainability in rural sustainability in rural

Finland -- Two Finland -- Two examples examples

Tiina SilvastiTiina Silvasti

University of HelsinkiUniversity of Helsinki

Department of Social Policy Department of Social Policy

• The concepts are discussed shortly The concepts are discussed shortly through two examples. through two examples.

• The aim is to pay attention to the The aim is to pay attention to the complexity and a kind of complexity and a kind of contradiction in terms of the contradiction in terms of the concepts.concepts.

• Social and cultural sustainability are intangible Social and cultural sustainability are intangible and difficult to define.and difficult to define.

• Difficult to measureDifficult to measure

• Impossible or inappropriate to reduce to Impossible or inappropriate to reduce to

quantitative indicators. quantitative indicators.

• The real world ecological, economic, and social The real world ecological, economic, and social systems are interactive dynamic processes and systems are interactive dynamic processes and interlinkages within and between them are interlinkages within and between them are complicated. complicated.

• There are often fundamental values, There are often fundamental values, various world views and interest various world views and interest conflicts involved in promoting or conflicts involved in promoting or lobbying for certain kind of development lobbying for certain kind of development in the name of sustainability. in the name of sustainability.

• The concepts of social and cultural The concepts of social and cultural sustainability are subjective, qualitative, sustainability are subjective, qualitative, ideological and political by nature. ideological and political by nature.

• Sustainable development is not a Sustainable development is not a value-neutral term and it is very value-neutral term and it is very important to straighten out, whose important to straighten out, whose values come first and whose values values come first and whose values are relevant? are relevant?

• It always has to be asked, sustainable It always has to be asked, sustainable for what, against what, towards what for what, against what, towards what and for whom? and for whom?

Agricultural changeAgricultural change

• The best way to guarantee the Finnish food The best way to guarantee the Finnish food production in the EU-conditions was to production in the EU-conditions was to industrialise agriculture. industrialise agriculture.

• The competitiveness, the increasing of farm size The competitiveness, the increasing of farm size and capacity and reducing the number of farms. and capacity and reducing the number of farms.

• The gist of the transition was to promote The gist of the transition was to promote entrepreneurship and this “entrepreneurial entrepreneurship and this “entrepreneurial ethos” has displaced the more traditional farmer ethos” has displaced the more traditional farmer identities. identities.

• The most important motif to promote The most important motif to promote the industrialising of agriculture was the industrialising of agriculture was economical. economical.

• The questions of social or cultural The questions of social or cultural sustainability were secondary if sustainability were secondary if compared with the goal of economic compared with the goal of economic growth and competitiveness.growth and competitiveness.

””The survivours”The survivours”

• For some of the farmers this kind of For some of the farmers this kind of development was fortunate. development was fortunate.

• They have succeeded and their family They have succeeded and their family enterprises flourish. enterprises flourish.

• The development has been The development has been economically and socially sustainable economically and socially sustainable from their point of you.from their point of you.

””The others”The others”• Some of the farmers did not meet the goals of Some of the farmers did not meet the goals of

the new agricultural policy nor the economic the new agricultural policy nor the economic demands of expanding business. demands of expanding business.

• They had to give up farming. Some of the ex-They had to give up farming. Some of the ex-farmers managed the change of the farmers managed the change of the occupation well. occupation well.

• For many giving up farming was a downfall. For many giving up farming was a downfall. The lost of livelihood, occupation, life-mode, The lost of livelihood, occupation, life-mode, farm, home, health and family. The change farm, home, health and family. The change has been devastating, nothing sustainable in has been devastating, nothing sustainable in it. it.

Social and cultural Social and cultural changes changes

• Change in financial thinking: Farmers have to Change in financial thinking: Farmers have to invest heavily and ran heavily into debt. Ex-invest heavily and ran heavily into debt. Ex-farmers wanted to avoid long-term liability.farmers wanted to avoid long-term liability.

• Change in a way of managing the enterprise: Change in a way of managing the enterprise: Ex-farmers on small holdings used to do all Ex-farmers on small holdings used to do all the work by themselves. To specialise as a the work by themselves. To specialise as a business managers, was not an option for business managers, was not an option for them.them.

• Change in relation to the nature and Change in relation to the nature and domestic animals: Large-scale agriculture far domestic animals: Large-scale agriculture far too industrial. too industrial.

Social and cultural Social and cultural changeschanges

• Change in a way to perceive and understand Change in a way to perceive and understand the basic nature of farming: ”For me the basic nature of farming: ”For me agriculture is what we lived (sic!) during the agriculture is what we lived (sic!) during the 70s and the 80s. These are production plans, 70s and the 80s. These are production plans, these modern farms.” these modern farms.”

• Change in the way of life: “The life style Change in the way of life: “The life style changes. You have to think in a different way.”changes. You have to think in a different way.”

• Change in a rural landscape:Change in a rural landscape:

• The small-holders’ unique way of life and some The small-holders’ unique way of life and some cultural scripts organising it are disappearing cultural scripts organising it are disappearing along with the structural change. along with the structural change.

• Their operations are not economically Their operations are not economically profitable enough to survive and their social or profitable enough to survive and their social or cultural values are not appreciated to be worth cultural values are not appreciated to be worth of maintaining. of maintaining.

• What, indeed, is development? What, indeed, is development?

Rural welfareRural welfare• Many rural regions in Finland are Many rural regions in Finland are

depopulating. depopulating.

• The migration is selective: the young, the The migration is selective: the young, the educated and women are prone to migrate. educated and women are prone to migrate.

• People in sparsely populated areas often live People in sparsely populated areas often live with modest services, behind long distances with modest services, behind long distances and poor provision of public transport. and poor provision of public transport.

• Who are the most vulnerable people in the Who are the most vulnerable people in the rural localities: The young!rural localities: The young!

• The main target of socially and culturally The main target of socially and culturally sustainable development is to guarantee sustainable development is to guarantee the society to be able to assure a sound the society to be able to assure a sound basis for welfare from one generation to basis for welfare from one generation to the next. the next.

• When the professionals are When the professionals are communicating, that there is something communicating, that there is something wrong in the societal development, wrong in the societal development, something that makes the becoming something that makes the becoming generation feel underprivileged.generation feel underprivileged.

Why the young are Why the young are vulnerable?vulnerable?

• Decline of the family: Loosening of family Decline of the family: Loosening of family ties, increasing divorces, family break ties, increasing divorces, family break downs, blended families and single downs, blended families and single parents parents

• Poor parenting: Lack of resources, Poor parenting: Lack of resources, exhaustion and inability to child rearingexhaustion and inability to child rearing

• Defencelessness of the youth to the Defencelessness of the youth to the influence of the media: celebrity culture, influence of the media: celebrity culture, unrealistic conception of the real world unrealistic conception of the real world and all “the bad” in internetand all “the bad” in internet

• Problems in integrating into society as a Problems in integrating into society as a contrast to exclusion: Difficulties in contrast to exclusion: Difficulties in access to education and labour marketsaccess to education and labour markets

• To prevent social exclusion the integration to To prevent social exclusion the integration to the education system or labour market is very the education system or labour market is very important. important.

• In demanding integration into society the In demanding integration into society the freedom of choice is often expected to be freedom of choice is often expected to be limitless for the youth.limitless for the youth.

• The choices of young people in remote areas The choices of young people in remote areas are often physically limited, the real freedom are often physically limited, the real freedom of choice is small and the difference between of choice is small and the difference between freedom and necessity is vague. freedom and necessity is vague.

• Structural change in rural livelihoods: rapid Structural change in rural livelihoods: rapid change is reducing future prospects in change is reducing future prospects in traditional rural branches traditional rural branches

• The impact of the industrial restructuring is The impact of the industrial restructuring is even stronger. even stronger.

• The stop-and-go economic trends and rapid The stop-and-go economic trends and rapid changes in the employment situation confuse changes in the employment situation confuse both the goal setting and the goal attainment both the goal setting and the goal attainment of the young. of the young.

• The experts working with young people The experts working with young people are in front of a contradictory task. are in front of a contradictory task. Because of the restricted educational and Because of the restricted educational and employment opportunities they urge the employment opportunities they urge the youth to move out of their home regions. youth to move out of their home regions.

• At the greatest risk of exclusion are the At the greatest risk of exclusion are the young, who stay in their localities troubled young, who stay in their localities troubled by unemployment, without education and by unemployment, without education and real employment opportunities. real employment opportunities.

What to do?What to do?• 1) A strong input to support families and 1) A strong input to support families and

parenting. parenting.

• 2) To battle against the centralisation of the 2) To battle against the centralisation of the schooling system. Vocational schools and schooling system. Vocational schools and supported programs are important. supported programs are important.

• 3) The solutions made in the name of 3) The solutions made in the name of economical sustainability often cause social economical sustainability often cause social and cultural unsustainability. To mitigate the and cultural unsustainability. To mitigate the damages: guarantee a sound basis for welfare damages: guarantee a sound basis for welfare for children and young people in the changing for children and young people in the changing rural conditions.rural conditions.